Combination antitilt and restoring circuit for amusement game apparatus



March 13, 1951 H. E. WILLIAMS 2,544,945

COMBINATION ANTITILT AND RESTORING CIRCUIT FOR AMUSEMENT GAME APPARATUS Filed Dec. 10, 1949 INV EN TOR.

Patented Mar. 13, 1951 COMBINATION ANTITILT AND RESTORING' CIRCUIT FOR AMUSEMENT GAME AP- PARATUS Harry E. Williams, Chicago, 111., assignor to Williams Patent Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 10, 1949, Serial No. 132,365"

The combination anti-tilt andrestoring circuit embodying my invention is designed especially for incorporation in a coin-controlled amusement apparatus in which there is a plurality of targets in the form of ball switches which are adapted to be closed by the engagement of a ball projected upon the playing surface by the use of a well-known ball projector. In the games for which my invention is especially designed'these ball switches control the operation of a step-up mechanism controlling an illuminated score indicator by which the values of the ball switches are displayed to the player.

It is the common practice to associate with such game apparatus an anti-tilt device, that is, a device which functions to deenergize the circuit of the game apparatus to render it inoperative for further play whenever the game apparatus has been fraudulently tilted or otherwise tampered with. i

In such game apparatus wherein such anti-tilt device is employed, whenever the anti-tilt device is caused to operate to deenergize the circuit of the game, further play of the game is prevented until the player conditions the game by the deposit of a coin in a coin slide released by such coin to close a game conditioning switch. In thus rendering the game inoperative the player loses the benefit of the score which he has attained prior to the operation of the anti-tilt device.

Frequently the anti-tilt device is accidentally caused to function and in such case the player has not had the benefit of full playing of the game.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a combination anti-tilt and restoring circuit for such amusement game apparatus whereby should the game apparatus be rendered inoperative either accidentally or fraudulently, the game apparatus will remain inoperative until the player has projected one of the remaining unplayed balls upon the playing surface, at which time the game will again become operative upon engagement of any one of the ball switches by the projected ball. By this arrangement the player does not lose the benefit of the score which he has attained up to the time that the anti-tilt device became operative to render inoperative the game playing circuit.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

2 Claims. (Cl. 273-118) Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of my combination anti-tilt and restoring circuit; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary diagrammatic detail view of a modified form of circuit restoring switch.

In the conventional and present day amusement apparatuses the scoring attained by the playerin the playing of the game is registered by illumination through the medium of a plurality of score indicating lamps til, each of which is assigned a scoring valuesuch as is indicated by the indicia l l.

These lamps are controlled by a step-up switch l2 comprising a plurality ofcontacts'l3 and a contact arm i i. The contact arm I4 is connected by a conductor to' one side It of a power line. Each of the contacts 13 is connected to one side !i of its respective lamp H3. The other side of each lamp so is connected by a conductor l8 to the opposite side H) of the power line.

This arm M is mounted on a shaft of a stepup mechanism 2!. This step-up mechanism is a conventional and well-known mechanism and is more fully shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 2,281,262. As shown in this patent, the step-up mechanism includes a ratchet wheel 22 adapted to be advanced against the action of a spring 23 by a step-up pawl 24 pivoted at 25 to an operating lever 28 pivoted at 27 to a suitable support. This operating lever 26 is pivotally connected as at 28 to theplunger 29 of an electro-magnetic coil 30.

A holding dog is indicated at 3! and is ivoted to a suitable support as at 32. This holding dog 3| is pivotally connected as at 33' to. an electromagnetic coil 34. The holding dog 3! has part 35 which, as shown in the patent referred to, has interconnection with a part 36 of the stepup pawl 24 whereby upon energization of the coil 34, the dog and pawl 3| and 24, respectively, will disengage from the ratchet wheel 22 to permit return of the ratchet wheel 22 to .zero position.

One side of the coil 34 is connected by a conductor 3'! to the side iii of the power line; the other side of the coil 34 by a conductor 38 is connected to one side 39 of a switch 40. The other side 41 of this switch 4!! is connected by a conductor 42 to the side I9 of the power line. The switch is adapted to be closed when engaged by a slide plate 43 of a coin slide 44. This coin slide 44 is of a well-known construction and is preferably of the construction shown in United States Patent No. 1,908,380. The arrangement is such'that when the switch 40 is closed by the slide plate 43, the coil 34 will .be energizedto release the ratchet wheel 22 for return to zero position by action of the spring 23.

A conventional ball target switch is indicated at 45. This switch includes a tiltable disk 46 which is adapted to be tilted upon engagement with a rolling ball B. This disk 46 carries a switch arm 41 connected by a conductor 45 to the side 16 of the power line. This switch arm 41 is adapted to engage a contact 49 connected by a conductor 50 to one side of the coil 30; the other side of the coil is connected by a conductor 5i to a switch arm 52 of a switch 53. An intermediate switch arm 54 of the switch 531, which is normally in contact with the arm 52, is connected by a conductor 55 to the side 19 of the power line.

The arrangement is such that upon engagement of the disk 46 with a rolling ball B the disk will be tilted to bring the contact arm 4? into engagement with the contact 49, thereby to com plete a circuit between the power line and the coil 30. When the coil 35 is thus energized it causes pivotal movement of the lever 26 to cause the M pawl 24 to engage with the ratchet wheel 22 to advance the ratchet wheel one step. As the ratchet wheel 22 is fixed to the shaft 20 on which the arm 14 is likewise fixed, the arm I 4 will be moved to engage the adjacent contact 43 disposed in the direction of the movement of the arm, thereby to complete a circuit between the lamp Ill connected to such contact [3 and the power line to register by illumination the value of the ball target switch 45 closed by the ball.

Incorporated in the circuit thus far described, is an anti-tilt device 51 comprising a movable contact arm 58 and a stationary contact 59. The arm 58 is connected by a conductor 65 to one side of the power line It; the contact 59 is connected is normally open, is connected by a conductor 65 to the side 19 of the power line. The opposite side 51 of the switch is connected to a switch arm 68 of the switch 53 by a conductor 58.

The switch arm 54 is adapted to be attracted by an electromagnetic coil 69 to break contact between the arm 54 and the arm 52 of the switch 53 and to make contact between the arm 54 and the arm 68 of such switch 53. One side of the coil 69 is connected by a conductor 15 to the conductor 68'. The other side of this coil by a conductor H is connected to one side 12 of a normally closed switch 13. The other side 74 of this switch is connected by a conductor '15 to the side E5 of the power line.

The arrangement is such that upon closing of the contact of the anti-tilt device, the coil 52 will be energized and close the switch 64. The closing of this switch 64 will complete a circuit between the power line and the coil 69, with the result that the arm 54 will be moved from engagement with the arm 52 and into engagement with the arm 58. The engagement between the arm 54 and the arm 68 of the switch 53 by action of the coil 69 will maintain energization of the coil until deenergized in a manner presently to be explained. It is pointed out at this time that when the arm 54 is moved from engagement with the arm 52 of the switch 53, further operation of the step-up mechanism 2| is impossible. thus preventing score registration. This condition will remain as long as the coil 69 is energized.

In order to permit the player to continue using the game apparatus in its normal manner, that is, by the projection of balls upon the playing board and the closing of the scoring switches by such balls, there is incorporated in the antitilt circuit a restoring circuit. This restoring circuit comprises an electromagnetic coil 16, one side of which is connected b a conductor 11 to the side [9 of the power line; the other side of the coil 16 is connected by a conductor 18 to the conductor 50.

The arrangement is such that when a played ball engages the disk 46 after the scoring circuit has been rendered inoperative by action of the anti-tilt device 51, the arm 41 will engage the contact 49. This will complete a circuit between the restoring coil l8 and the power line. The energization of the coil 16 will open the switch '13, thereby breaking connection between the coil 69 and the power line, with the result that the coil 69 becomes deenergized and the arm 54 released for engagement with the arm 52 of the switch 53, thereby restoring the scoring registering mechanism including the step-up switch 2|, for further operation.

If desired, the coil 16, instead of being connected in circuit with a target switch such as that indicated at 45, may be connected to a ball roll-over switch 19 disposed in a ball return trough down which the balls B roll to a position to be released for further movement to a ball projecting device (not shown). When the switch 19 is employed, one side of the coil 16 is connected to one side 8| of the switch 19 by a conductor 82, the other side of the switch being connected by a conductor 83 to one side of the power line. The opposite side of the coil 16, like in the form shown in Fig. 1, is connected by the conductor Tl to the other side of the power line.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that whenever the anti-tilt device is operative to render the game inoperative, the game may be restored for further operation without the player losing the benefit of the score attained by the playing of the game prior to the same having been rendered inoperative by the anti-tilt device.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A combination comprising a scoring circuit having a source of power, a ball-actuated switch in the scoring circuit to efiect energization thereof by the source of power when closed by a ball, an anti-tilt circuit having connection with the source of power and including an anti-tilt switch and means for deenergizing the scoring circuit upon closing of the anti-tilt switch, a holding circuit for said deenergizing means of said antitilt circuit and having connection with said power source, a circuit having connection with said power source and with said ball-actuated switch and said holding circuit to deenergize the holding circuit upon closing of said ball-actuated 76 switch by a ball.

2. A combination comprising a scoring circuit having a source of power and including an electromagnetic device and a normally closed switch in a circuit connection between one side of said device and one side of the power source and a normally open ball-actuated switch in a circuit connection between the other side of the device and the other side of the power source, an antitilt circuit including an anti-tilt switch and electromagnetic means having connection with the power source for opening said normally closed switch when said anti-tilt circuit is energized by the closing of said anti-tilt switch, a holding circuit having connection with said source of power and said electromagnetic means and including a normally closed switch in a circuit connection between one side of the source of power and the electromagnetic means, said holding circuit efiective to maintain energization of said electromagnetic means when said anti-tilt circuit is deenergized by the opening of said anti-tilt switch, and

a circuit having connection with said power source and with said ball-actuated switch and having means to open said normally closed switch ofthe holding circuit to deenergize upon closing of said ball-actuated switch by a ball said holding circuit and said electromagnetic means to permit closing of said normally open switch in said scoring circuit.

HARRY E. WILLIAMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this .patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,053,379 Shyvers et a1 Sept. 8, 1936 2,093,293 Stoner et al Sept. 14, 1937 2,139,783 Van Tuyl Dec. 13, 1938 2,165,059 Koci July 4, 1939 2,479,707 Durant Aug. 23, 1949 

